Trudeau defends open nominations amid controversyBack to video

Yet the nomination process has been plagued with complaints. Trudeau has faced criticism for publicly supporting some nominees, while there have been allegations of backroom manipulation to block others from running.

Speaking on Wednesday to a roomful of Liberal MPs and candidates who will run for the party in next year’s election, Trudeau said the Liberals are committed “to building a team as diverse as our great nation.”

“And the results of our open nomination process can be seen here today,” he said. “I’m very proud of both the talent and the diversity on our team.”

Advertisement

Story continues below

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content continued

Candidates for 175 of the 338 federal ridings have been nominated to date, with more nomination meetings to be held in the coming weeks.

Trudeau noted the list includes Canadians from all walks of life, including veterans, police officers, teachers, journalists and scientists, as well as an Olympian: marathon runner-turned-Ontario labour minister Peter Fonseca.

“But most importantly,” he said, “open nominations in our communities have allowed tens of thousands of Canadians to participate directly in contested nominations.”

Trudeau said the party now has about 300,000 members, a dramatic increase since the last election when the party boasted much less.

Advertisement

Story continues below

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content continued

However, the increase has also been marred with some losses. A number of Liberals have said they are tearing up their membership cards in anger over specific nomination battles.

That would include some members in Ottawa-Orléans, where retired general Andrew Leslie was acclaimed over the weekend after the party told lawyer David Bertschi he was ineligible to run.

Some Sikh members in Vancouver have also reportedly said they are leaving the Liberals after the party allegedly forced their preferred candidate out of the race.

The party has also faced criticism for its handling of nomination races in the Toronto riding of Trinity-Spadina and Brantford-Brant in southwestern Ontario, among others.

Share this article in your social network

Share this Story: Trudeau defends open nominations amid controversy

Trending

Related Stories

This Week in Flyers

Article Comments

Comments

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

Notice for the Postmedia Network

This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.